Cosmetics-related injuries send thousands of kids to ER every year, national study finds

Hey, parents, while you’re taking care to keep prescription medications out of little hands, you might want to stow away the beauty products while you’re at it.

A new study of national emergency department data has found that nearly 65,000 children under age 5 were treated for cosmetics-related injuries from 2002 to 2016. That’s the equivalent of one child being treated every two hours over a 15-year period for harmful exposure to personal care and beauty products.

The worst offenders, according to the study’s findings, were nail care products, accounting for about 28 percent of the injuries. The next was hair care products at 27 percent, and then skin care products at 25 percent. Fragrance products accounted for about 13 percent of the injuries.

Nearly 60 percent of the children treated by emergency departments for cosmetic injuries were under 2 years old, according to the study. Poisoning accounted for 86 percent of the diagnoses.

To conduct the study, researchers with Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, viewed data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System. Their findings were published online this month in the journal Clinical Pediatrics.

The researchers noted that the American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended that cosmetics and other personal care products be locked away, as well as medicines.

If your child has ingested a potentially hazardous substance, call the Poison Control Hotline at 1-800-222-1222.